Jail for drug dealer who attacked 21-year-old

A CONVICTED drug dealer from Warrington has been jailed after admitting assaulting a 21-year-old man with the intent to rob him.
Dane Bradley, also 21, of Kingsway South, Latchford, ran up to the victim and repeatedly punched him in the face as he was leaving a KFC restaurant at around 11.45pm on Saturday December 8 last year.
The victim was with work colleagues when the incident occurred.
During the assault Bradley demanded that the victim transfer money to him via his phone.
He refused and Bradley fled after the victim’s colleagues called the police.
The victim sustained facial injuries as a result of the incident. He was taken to hospital in an ambulance and discharged after receiving treatment.
Bradley went into hiding following the assault and failed to attend probation and court appointments.
Officers made numerous attempts to locate and arrest him and he was widely publicised as being a wanted man.
He was eventually arrested shortly before midnight in July this year after officers stopped a vehicle he was travelling in on Lythgoes Lane in Warrington.
He was recognised by officers and was subsequently arrested and charged with assault with intent to commit a robbery.
He pleaded guilty to the offence at Chester Crown Court on the first day of a two-day trial and was sentenced the same day, receiving a prison sentence of two years and 11 months.
The court also imposed a restraining order prohibiting him from contacting the victim and a witness in any way for five years.
Bradley also has to pay a £170 victim surcharge, and the conviction activated an eight-month suspended prison sentence that he received in September last year for possessing cannabis with intent to supply the class B drug.
As a result Bradley has been jailed for a total of three years and seven months.
Detective Constable Rob Thorpe, of Warrington Local Policing Unit, said: “I am pleased that Bradley is now behind bars facing the consequences of his actions.
“Bradley repeatedly called the victim to demand money he claimed to be owed.
“He then went to the victim’s workplace on a number of occasions to demand money from him.
“Adamant that he did not owe Bradley anything, the victim refused to hand over any cash.
“Then Bradley viciously assaulted the victim and attempted to force him to transfer money.
“Thankfully the victim did not sustain any serious injuries as a result of the assault, although he has suffered significant upheaval to his life as a result of Bradley attempting to evade justice.
“The consequences of the incident could have been far worse and I hope that the victim can move forward with his life now that Bradley has been convicted of the offence.
“I also hope that Bradley, who is only 21, reflects on his life choices while serving his prison sentence and changes his ways.”